This time last year, I was forced to withdraw from the WS @ Cherry Blossom because of a knee injury. So, one year later, I'm back! Sort of a pride issue, although I really love that tournament. I hadn't been taping the foam padding over the screws in my leg, and found out today that I need to start doing that again. When I took my socks off this afternoon, I had a large red and irritated area around the lower screw...looks like more padding & KT tape!
I signed up for the Mixed Sabre last minute as "Anger Management." I failed two tests last week (Calculus - shocker, right? and compsci - oops.), so I needed to work out a little agression. I had no goals for the tournament. Didn't care if I won or lost. Just needed to fence. Didn't win a single bout, but rather enjoyed confusing the Sh!t out of the boys! Yesterday was "Testosterone Overload." I swear the boys hit each other like rams butting heads! Luckily I only came out with one real mark on my left shoulder. Anyways, it seems to confuse the crap out of the boys when their opponenet smiles after they lose. I talked to one guy I had fenced before and he said it really was unnerving when I did that to him. ::shrug:: Whatever...it's fun to mess with the boys. Had fun. Tied for 79th. "Anger Management" accomplished.

Today was the women's. Luckily I stayed with a friend, so I didn't have to do 2 days of long hauls. There were 17 of us. To my surprise they did 2 pools. I ended up in the pool of 9. They double stripped us. I've got super mixed feelings about how I did. I had fun. I knew most of the women in my pool. Won 1 pool bout. Almost won another. Only DOH-nutted one, but I'll get to that in a minute. My parries were totally off. My timing was totally off. I think the only good thing was my stamina. I started to get tired in my 7th bout. By the 8th pool bout, I was done and the leg was really starting to hurt (lost that one 5-0).
Luckily I got about 15 or 20 minutes to rest and get some advil into me. I had asked Peach to coach me for my DE, but she ended up fencing at the same time that I did. It's too bad, 'cause I've been looking for feedback lately since I am never able to get anyone to tape for me. It's all good though! I wasn't too tired for my DE, which I was actually happy about, but I was sore. My opponenet was swatting horribly and I am more striped from that one DE with her than I was from any previous bout (including the mixed yesterday). Once again, my parries were off, but I was also doing some things that my coach has been trying to break me of. 1) I was thinking (I'm not allowed to think). 2) I was aiming. When I aim, I always miss...unless I'm so close there is no missing, but lately I've been seriously afraid of getting too close. I managed to stop thinking, but the aiming didn't stop, which killed me. I was also not moving, which bothered me a bit because I was doing that in pools too. At times it almost felt like I was afraid to move, which I haven't been since I came back from surgery, so I'll hafta talk to the trainer about that I guess. Anyways, she won, 15-14. It was a really good bout, but she swung so hard on that last touch, that she really came down on my knee, which actually dropped me. I was NOT happy. I don't fence epee because I don't want to get hit in the legs since my knees are so bad (not to mention I really don't like epee). Whatever.
At least I don't have any tests this week...2 papers and a programming project due, but no tests (Physiology test is next week. lol). Next weekend is the D-lite. I'd better get more ice and get back to my papers for Speech.